The wagon train

The kobold glares as your begin retreating and raises a hand but a snapped command from from the brush behind makes him freeze.
The sixth kobold you expected to see, this one in robes, steps into sight. He looks at you then back the way you came and asks You travel with others?

That sounds completely reasonable, Eddisham responds. Grund, can you inform the caravan of this decision please? I will go to meet the ancestor.

No, yes, that's a good point, Eddisham reassures Grund. Listen, friends, he turns to the kobolds, my old friend here, he wants us to stick together. We'll go back and talk to our main group and then the two of us will meet you here to go see the ancestor. Sound good?

OK. We will come with you, to avoid missunderstandings
You start heading back with the kobolds trailing behind about 60'. In a couple of minutes you see the wagons and quickly make contact with the other adventurers and pass the word that these kobolds are here to negotiate but to watch out for more.
Markham, the caravan master, is not happy about payingbut conceeds it is likely better than having to skirmish who knows how many of the kobolds all the way to the expedition base camp. H goes back out with you to where the kobolds waited and counts out the coin after getting and oath of conduct on thei "Great Ancestor" which seems to iritate the shield bearer but reausres Markham. Though he doesn't like the idea of you heading off with the kobods he thinks it may well be agood thing, as long as you return. He spends a few frantic moments trying to pump you full of all the dragon lore he know about dealing with. Mostly it involves showing respect, a bit of fear but not too much, and focusing on not offending the dragon while making no promises you cant keep as the expedition may simply write you off as lost. As you and Grund head out he reitterates he most important thing is to come back and even covertly hands you a small pouch of semi precious gems to gift to the beast.

Your course seems to paralell the path you planned for the wagon for about an hour though you notice you are tending more towards the south. You begin winding you way through thicker and larger marshes untli at last you aproach a hill surounded by thick bog that the kobolds seem to know quite well. It is at this point that you start noticing more kobolds though Grund says he spotted a few earlier on. Once you set foot on the solig ground of the large hill you realize this is no small band of kobolds. Estimating based on the camps you see there are likely several hundred kolbolds camped at the base of the hill.
The trail you folow winds though several camps, with Kobolds hissing in supprise or anger when they see you, then up the hill. Nearing the top you spot a large cavern surrounded by piles of rocks and dirt leading you to believe thie cave was excavated not too many seasons ago. At the mouth of the cave the mage instruct you to enter but warns No lights if you want to live.
The tunnel is steep, wide, and strait enough at first that the lack of additional light is not an issue. However the slight curve of the tunnel eventually puts you in near total darknes before you realize there are "Star Grub", a small worm like creature that gives off faint light in darkness, on the ceiling. With the "stars" lighting you way you continue decending until you reach a large cavern. The ceiling is too high to light much of the cavern floor but you are able to discern the cave floor is very uneven with mounds well over 20 though the size is hard to guage due to the poor light.

As you come to a stop and silence fills the cavern you notice a faint rhythmic low and slow sound of wind.

At you words the breathing changes into a rumble that takes you a moment to recognize as laughter. Then a voice that goes strait to your mind and soul Though the kobolds may claim such as I as their ancestor, no dragon claims them as descendants. It isn't until this point that you realize the words are not in common, yet still understood. Why have you come to"greet" me little ones? A scraping sound is heard and you are suddenly shocked at the appearance of two great glowing eyes.

As you speak you feel your mind growing hazy and lose yourself for a moment till Grund nudges you

Eddisham sighs. Things feel very confusing, lately.